Knitting guide

Knit vs crochet: the differences and which to learn first

Updated October 5, 2026 by Khokhar Sab

Knitting uses two needles and keeps a whole row of live stitches on them. Crochet uses one hook and finishes each stitch before the next, so only one loop is live. Knitted fabric is usually thinner, smoother and stretchier. Crochet makes thicker, firmer fabric and often uses more yarn for the same area, though the gap depends on the stitch.

Knit vs crochet at a glance

This table sums up what Wikipedia, Lion Brand, Sarah Maker, Simply Yarn and Interweave say about each craft.

Needles or a hook

Lion Brand's help page puts it simply: knitting uses two pointed needles of the same size, and crochet uses a single hook. One knitting needle holds the finished stitches while the other makes the next row. Knitting needles are sized by number, and US crochet hooks carry a letter as well. The knitting needle size chart and the crochet hook size chart list both systems with millimeters.

Working in the round is where the tools differ most. Wikipedia notes that a regular crochet hook makes rounds and tubes with no extra tools. Knitting a tube needs circular needles or a set of three to five double-pointed needles.

How the fabric is made

Wikipedia calls this the key difference. A crochet stitch is completed before the next one starts, so only one loop stays on the hook. A knitter keeps a whole row of stitches open on the needle at once.

That changes how the fabric holds together. In knitting, each stitch supports the stitch above and below it. A crochet stitch is held only by its neighbors on either side. If a crochet stitch breaks, Wikipedia says the stitches around it usually stay put. A dropped knitting stitch can unravel down the column.

One exception: Tunisian crochet uses a long hook and holds a whole row of loops at once, much like knitting. Slip stitch crochet can also follow a knitting pattern and give a similar result, according to the same article.

Fabric feel and drape

Simply Yarn describes knit stitches as interlocking loops that stretch a lot, and crochet stitches as knots that make a solid fabric. Lion Brand calls knitted fabric thinner, smoother and drapier, and crocheted fabric thicker and bumpier. Sarah Maker adds that crochet fabric is generally less stretchy and a bit sturdier.

Wikipedia pushes back a little. It says a crocheter can get a feel and drape closer to knitting by using a larger hook or thinner yarn. The fabric depends on the stitch and gauge as well as the craft.

What each craft is good for

Sources agree on the usual split. Sarah Maker lists sweaters, socks and gloves for knitting, and blankets, amigurumi and home decor for crochet. Simply Yarn adds that crochet suits lace with open spaces and strong fabric for bags, hats and toys. Wikipedia notes that crochet gives amigurumi a knobbier, more structured texture, and that freeform crochet can build 3D shapes almost anywhere on a piece.

Craftsy treats that split as habit and lists the idea that you shouldn't crochet sweaters or knit blankets among its myths. Machines draw the one firm line. Wikipedia says knitting can be done by machine, while many crochet stitches can only be made by hand. It adds that crochet machines are still being developed.

Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?

Usually, for the same area, but sources disagree on how much:

• Sarah Maker says 25 to 30% more.
• Lion Brand says 30 to 50% more per square inch.
• Wikipedia says the popular one-third-more figure holds for single crochet against stockinette, but most crochet uses far less extra than that.
• Craftsy says there is no hard rule: stitch, gauge and project decide it.

Interweave tested it. Designer Amy Gunderson made five swatches in the same chunky yarn, using 6 mm needles and a 6 mm hook. Each was 20 stitches wide and 20 rows tall. She weighed each one and worked out how many square inches one gram covered. We turned her figures into grams per 100 square inches and grams for a 50 × 60 inch throw.

Stockinette used about 62% as much yarn as single crochet for the same area. The table also shows what the rule of thumb hides. Garter stitch, a knitting stitch, used more yarn than half double or double crochet. Taller crochet stitches cover more area per gram, so the craft alone doesn't settle it.

Knit vs crochet yarn for the same blanket

The blanket yarn calculator has a quick estimate mode that knows both crafts. It starts from a range of yards per square inch for crochet, then scales knitting down by a factor of 1 ÷ 1.3. The calculator's code calls this a widely repeated figure with low confidence and names no single source. It matches the low end of Lion Brand's range and the top of Sarah Maker's. Here are four blanket sizes in medium / worsted (4) yarn, before any extra.

Every row works out the same way: the knitted blanket needs about 23% less yarn, which means crochet needs about 30% more. On a 50 × 60 inch throw, that is roughly 606 yards, or about 3 skeins of 200 yards. Interweave's test shows the real gap can be far smaller or larger, so a swatch in your own stitch beats any ratio. The guide to estimating yarn from a swatch shows how.

Which is faster?

Sarah Maker calls crochet the faster craft because its stitches are taller. Lion Brand says crochet tends to be faster on projects where rows build quickly. Wikipedia gives the heights: a single crochet is about twice as tall as a knit stitch, and a double crochet about four times, in the same yarn.

Interweave's swatches show it in fabric. Twenty rows of double crochet came out 13 inches tall, against 4.75 inches for twenty rows of stockinette, about 2.7 times the height. None of these sources timed real crafters, though. Your speed will depend on practice and on the stitch you choose.

Is knitting or crochet easier to learn?

Sources disagree. Lion Brand and Sarah Maker both say crochet is easier for beginners, because you manage one hook and one live loop. Sarah Maker also points out that knitting has just two basic stitches, knit and purl, while crochet has six to learn.

Simply Yarn says there is no simple answer. Two needles can feel fiddly at first, and new crocheters often struggle with tension. Craftsy's view is the bluntest: "the one you think is easier is usually the one you learned first."

Fixing mistakes

Crochet is easier to undo. Simply Yarn explains that you take the hook out and pull the yarn, and the stitches unravel back to the mistake. With only one live loop, nothing else comes loose. Sarah Maker and Lion Brand agree that crochet mistakes are easier to fix.

In knitting, every stitch on the needle is live. Lion Brand describes the two fixes: tinking, which means undoing one stitch at a time, and frogging, which means ripping out rows. A dropped stitch can run down several rows if you don't catch it. Simply Yarn calls ripping back and re-knitting fiddly and slow.

Cost to start

Either craft starts with one ball of yarn and one tool: a pair of needles or a single hook. Simply Yarn notes that crochet needs little more than yarn and a hook. Costs grow as you add sizes. Sarah Maker puts a good set of interchangeable knitting needles at $100 or more, and a full set of crochet hooks at about $50. Knitters who work in the round also need circular or double-pointed needles in each size.

Yarn is the larger ongoing cost. Wikipedia says any yarn works for either craft with the right tool size, and Craftsy says hand-dyed yarns look just as good in crochet. If crochet uses more yarn for your stitch, each project costs a little more. The guide to yarn weights explains the numbers on the label.

Which to learn first

Lion Brand suggests crochet first to build confidence, then knitting for garments. That advice follows from the points above. Crochet is easier to undo, builds fabric quickly and needs only one hook. Knitting makes the thin, stretchy fabric that suits fitted sweaters and socks.

So let the first project decide. For a blanket, a basket or a toy, start with crochet; the guide to crocheting a blanket covers a first piece from start to finish. For a hat, socks or a sweater, start with knitting; the guide to casting on is the first step. Either way, swatch first and check your gauge with the gauge guide.

If you are choosing between needle crafts that use thread on a grid, the cross stitch vs needlepoint guide compares those two the same way.

Sources and further reading

Interweave's yarn usage experiment by Amy Gunderson weighs five knit and crochet swatches. Wikipedia's crochet article covers live stitches, stitch heights, machines and the one third more yarn claim. Lion Brand compares tools, fabric, speed and mistakes in its beginner's guide to knit vs crochet. Sarah Maker covers learning, speed and tool costs in knitting vs crochet. Craftsy tackles common beliefs in knit vs crochet myths. Simply Yarn's comparison of the two crafts supplied the notes on fabric and fixing mistakes.

Video tutorial

"CROCHET VS KNITTING | Which Is BEST for Absolute BEGINNERS? | Differences of Crocheting & Knitting" by Elise Rose Crochet, on YouTube. The video loads only when you press play.